*Price, vintage and availability may vary by store.
Product Information
Kentucky- Their custom design wave barrel creates an innovated and unique environment. The proprietary, flash-charred, toasted grooved-staves increases the surface area of the barrel allowing more bourbon to contact the oak barrel.
OVERVIEW
Old Fashioned
Cocktail Recipe
1 Tsp. sugar
2 orange peels
2 dashes bitters
2 oz. bourbon
Muddle sugar and 1 orange peel in glass. Add bitters and bourbon. Stir well. Add ice cubes and stir again. Garnish with fresh orange peel.
Bourbon, America’s native spirit, traces its heritage to immigrants who brought their whiskey-making skills to the American colonies in the 18th century. Rye was the crop of choice for them, because it was easier to establish than the traditional barley. But when settlers pushed west to Kentucky, which had gained a reputation for fertile soil and pure spring waters, corn became the base material for their whiskey, and it established a style that Kentucky could call its own.
Some say this whiskey became “Bourbon” because it was shipped from Kentucky in barrels bearing the name “Bourbon County.” But Michael Veach, author of “Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey: An American Heritage,” says that’s simply a legend and that the origins are unknown. In any case, Kentucky whiskey-makers gained a reputation for this fine quality spirit, and business grew until the rise of the temperance movement. Prohibition essentially dismantled the Bourbon industry for several years. By the time the 21st Amendment ended Prohibition in 1933, Americans no longer had a passion for the robust, flavorful whiskey of yore; instead, they preferred lighter versions of the spirit. It was not until decades later that Americans once again looked for bigger, richer Bourbons.
Although it’s historically affiliated with Kentucky, Bourbon today may be made anywhere in the United States, so long as producers follow a recipe and process that is set by law.
Bourbon
Jefferson's // Kentucky, USA
community rating
Released in August 2018, this release from Jefferson's Reserve is made in collaboration with the Independent Stave Company, a family-owned cooperage based in Missouri. The barrels produced were made from grooved staves intended to increase the surface area inside the barrel. The barrels were toasted for a period of time before flash charring.
Jefferson's took 10 year-old Kentucky straight bourbon and finished it in these custom barrels for four months. Bottled at 45.1% ABV.
Released in August 2018, this release from Jefferson's Reserve is made in collaboration with the Independent Stave Company, a family-owned cooperage based in Missouri. The barrels produced were made from grooved staves intended to increase the surface area inside the barrel. The barrels were toasted for a period of time before flash charring. Jefferson's took 10 year-old Kentucky straight bourbon and finished it in these custom barrels for four months. Bottled at 45.1% ABV.
age
NAS
Cost
abv
45.1
Bourbon
Produced anywhere in USA; Mash bill of at least 51% corn; aged in new, charred oak containers.
Cask Type
new, charred American oak; finished in custom barrel
It’s been awhile since we spent much time with Jefferson’s, but today we’ve got a double shot of new releases from the boutique operation. Let’s dig in.
Jefferson’s Reserve Twin Oak Custom Barrel – “Twin Oak” sounds mysterious, but the reality is this is a bit simpler whiskey than the name suggests. The result of a six-year project with the barrel-makers at Independent Stave Company, Twin Oak is the inaugural release of whiskey placed in Jefferson’s CEO Trey Zoeller’s own “Jefferson’s barrel.” Like Jack Daniel’s Sinatra Select whiskeys, the secret sauce is the grooved staves used to craft the barrel, making for more surface area and greater wood-to-spirit contact. Barrels are then toasted and charred based on a specific recipe. The “twin” moniker comes into play because these special barrels are only used for four months of finishing. The whiskey starts as 10 year old bourbon, sourced from an unnamed Kentucky distillery.
The results are perfectly delightful for fans of bolder, wood-forward bourbons. The nose is heavy on the char, licorice, and clove notes, herbal and earthy. Bold cereal character hits first on the tongue, a fresh popcorn note that feels younger than 10 years and which comes across as traditional, almost old-timey. Secondary notes are mainly built around baking spice and a hint of butterscotch, notes of clove oil and a reprise of blackened barrel char hanging on for the finish. Overall, it’s fine. 90.2 proof. B / $100 [BUY IT NOW FROM CASKERS]
Jefferson’s Ocean Aged at Sea Cask Strength Voyage 14 – In recent years, Jefferson’s heavy-gimmick Ocean Aged whiskey has gone from being a unicorn to a rather widely-available spirit. The catch is that Jefferson’s Ocean spends part of its aging time at sea, sloshing around on a container ship, which can greatly impact the influence of the barrel on the whiskey inside. This is the 14th release — or “voyage” — of the cask strength bourbon, its “ship’s log” describing a journey of several months (roughly six) that took place over 2017’s hurricane season and included a trip through the Panama Canal. The bourbon that goes into the batch carries no age statement, but it’s reported to be between 6 and 8 years of age, sourced from a Kentucky distillery.
A bit warm on the nose, there’s a strong popcorn component but also plenty of vanilla, caramel, and a hint of baking spice. There’s more going on on the palate, including some orange peel, butterscotch, and gingerbread notes. With time in glass the sweeter elements become more pronounced, though a vein of toasty oak runs through it all. Nice stuff. 112 proof. A- / $83 [BUY IT NOW FROM CASKERS]
jeffersonsbourbon.com
Jefferson's Reserve Twin Oak Custom Barrel
$100
About Post Author
Christopher Null
Christopher Null is the founder and editor in chief of Drinkhacker. A veteran writer and journalist, he also operates Null Media, a bespoke content company.